Even as a little kid, I looked forward to those evenings when my mom fixed stuffed bell peppers for supper. I loved the stuffing better than the bell pepper itself, but I was just a kid after all. How many little ones do you know that chow down on green bell peppers? Not many, I bet. Well, I’m all grown up now — and then some — and I’ve definitely acquired bell pepper taste buds. This Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup is chock full of tastiness reminiscent of those little pepper cups Mom made, and it is beyond easy to make .
This makes a thick soup, more like a stew I suppose. If you prefer yours to be thinner, just add more beef broth, water or tomato juice. Accompanied by your favorite cornbread, it’s a full meal.
I’ve seen several versions of Stuffed Bell Pepper soup floating around on the internet, but none are quite the same as this one developed to suit our tastes. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think.
Notes
May want to add additional beef broth or water if a thinner soup is desired. The rice will absorb some of the liquid.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped bell pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups V-8 Spicy Hot Vegetable Juice
- tomato sauce
- 1 32-ounce container low-sodium beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 2 cups prepared long-grain brown rice
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef; drain and rinse.Pour into crock of 5 or 6 quart slow cooker; set aside.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery until tender. Add to ground beef.
- Add in remaining ingredients except rice. Cook over HIGH heat 6 hours.
- Adjust seasonings. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in cooked rice.
- Reduce heat to LOW or WARM.
